Gormay lifted the table and unhinged his jaw. It snapped down, revealing a wide maw that allowed the plates of food to slide in. He greedily ate it all, swallowing chunks of meat and glass, then let out a heavy burp.
When he was done, he pulled out a napkin and wiped his chin. "So," he let out another heavy burp. "What's got your panties in a knot?"
Miranda's eye twitched, and his sister shook her head. "It's loud." She grumbled.
Mama Herta's dining room was a mess as Olem chased around Falco and Ghost, both of whom were dodging out of the way of the rampaging golem. Pock and the captain were gone, leaving for the Guild meeting earlier that same day. Vlad stood crouched and hunkered in front of an arcane machine, his hood up, ignoring the world, while Clause casually sat next to Miranda, his back to the counter as he watched Olem fail to reach the two rascals he was chasing.
"Things are always loud around here." Clause laughed, and he accepted the can of beer Mama Herta slid his way, the woman standing behind her counter, cooking up a storm. "I would have thought you were used to it by now."
Clause went to take a sip from his can of beer, but it suddenly twisted in his hands, the tin becoming a bright shade of green, and a tendril fired out, slapping him across the face. Startled, the old man dropped the can, and it bubbled up and changed, becoming a bundle of green tendrils that all screeched loudly and fired off the ground, crawling away at rapid speeds.
"Damn Greenie!" Clause yelled out, rubbing the place he had been slapped at. "What have I said about not becoming food or drink!"
The mimic ignored him, sliding under a table, and its body glowed with a golden light as it shifted into a wooden chair, remaining perfectly still.
Mama Herta let out a laugh, and the woman grabbed another can, cracking it open. This one wasn't a monster in disguise, and Clause drank his fill, grumbling as he did so.
"Miranda." Mama Herta leaned on the counter and gave the white-haired woman a knowing look. "You're worried about the recruit we got, aren't you?"
Miranda's eyes narrowed slightly. "No."
Mama Herta giggled. "I keep seeing the way your eyes dart over to that door." Mama Herta turned and looked toward the entrance of the medical wards, which was a large steel door sealed shut. "After all, you were the one who saw him last before he went off on his own—"
"It wasn't me; it was Merlin." Miranda shook her head. "And whatever, I don't care at all."
"Sure you do." Gourmet smacked his hand into his sister's back, nearly knocking her out of her chair. "You got that look on your face. Something about that new guy has gained your interest, hasn't it?"
Miranda gritted her teeth, and her eye twitched. "It isn't anything like that." She managed to keep her spot, not letting her younger brother shove her over. "It's just…" She trailed off for a moment. She hadn't ever met someone who was like her before.
Davi Hawker had a fascinating soul. One that both Miranda and Merlin have taken notice of.
Clause nursed his drink and ran his fingers through his beard, tugging on it. "Do you think that guy is going to be okay? I mean, he's been in a coma for nearly a month now."
Mama Herta nodded. "It's an unfortunate case. Nothing that can be done right now other than praying to Haru or the Almighty. I hope he pulls through."
"I'm more shocked about that other one." Gormay lifted another pile of food and opened his mouth as he swallowed it and the plates in a single gulp. He let out another meaty burp, small glass fibers falling out onto the table as he did so. "She's been at his side almost constantly. Even after Ragna returned, she's barely trained. I'm also shocked Ragna let her get away with that. I would have thought he'd be excited to train someone with blood magic."
Mama Herta shook her head. "Ragna isn't cruel. He knows it's more important to that girl if she's there when he awakens."
Past the mess hall, past the metal doors, the medical lab remained. It was in a bed in this room that Davi Hawker finally woke up.
Right away, Davi could tell that he had been asleep for a really, really long time. His eyelids struggled to open, and his muscles ached. His throat burned, and his stomach felt empty. With a groan, he sat up, his numb body getting used to working.
He blinked away sleep and stared down at his body. He was almost completely naked save for a medical gown, which was draped over his front. A few tubes and wires dug past his flesh, leaving their marks in his body and arms.
The room itself was pure white, so much so that it hurt his eyes, and there were various beds lined along the walls, along with expensive-looking equipment that looked like they were worth more than anything else in the junk heap. A shelf full of healing potions hung above him, and a quiet beep constantly filled the room.
What drew his attention the most, though, was the girl sitting in the chair at his bed. Olivia Lot was seated, a book in her hands, but her eyes were now on him, wide and full of shock.
"Davi?"
"That was my name the last I checked. How long was I—" Davi grunted as Olivia jumped forward and wrapped her arms around him. His aching body screamed in pain, but he ignored it and patted her shoulder. "Seriously, though, how long was I out for?"
Olivia pulled away and wiped at her eyes, sniffling a little. She also had a smile on her face. "Are you really okay?"
"Olivia."
"Right." Olivia laughed and shook her head. Her red eyes looked exhausted. Drained even. For a moment, Davi was reminded of the red eyes of the dragon—the one in his dream. The Dragon of Roads had red eyes, yet it also had blue. Blue like his… "You were out for a while," Olivia whispered, and she looked down at the ground. "Like a long while."
"Got a number?"
"A month."
"A month!" Davi's eyes went wide, and he raised his voice, something he rarely did. "Seriously."
Olivia rubbed the back of her neck. "That wound you got was serious, Davi. You—" Her lip quivered. "You died. And then you didn't. Polymorph saved you, but even then, you were bleeding. Pock rushed you here, and Olem did his best, but it was barely enough." Olivia winced. "He healed you and managed to make sure you wouldn't die. He also did his best to take care of your body, but still. Seeing you in that state wasn't good."
Davi glanced down at his hand, and he balled it into a tight fist for a moment. "I'm sorry."
Olivia glanced back up at him. "What are you sorry for?"
Davi remained silent and just kept staring at his palm. He was in control. His body was obeying him. For how much longer, though? He glanced at a wall and found his blue eyes staring back at him.
When he had met Farkiss, his body had moved without his consent. He lacked control and couldn't do anything to move his body back then. That always happened when the dragon was involved. He hated that feeling. Now, at least, that it wasn't here or a threat, his mother's hands weren't guiding him.
As Davi thought about that, the door to the medical ward slid open. "Davi!" For a second time that day, Davi found himself pulled into a tight hug as Ghost jumped onto him. He didn't even have time to shove her away, though, as her body flicked and she stumbled through him, causing ice to creep up his skin, freezing him. "Whoops." She giggled as she landed next to Olivia.
Davi shivered and shattered the ice off of him. The second person to enter the room was Falco, who charged forward. "Think fast, nerd!" Falco went to throw out a punch but slipped on some of the melted ice and fell back, cracking his head on the ground. Davi might have felt bad if not for the fact that Falco just tried to punch him.
The final person to enter the room was Olem. The golem walked forward and placed a hand on Davi's head. His fingers wrapped around the raven-haired man's skull, and his mana surged. "Hmm. Looks like you're back up and moving." Olem dropped Davi's head and folded his arms. "Good. I'm glad I was able to get you fixed up."
Davi nodded slightly. "How come it took a while?" He reached up and rubbed at his chest. Peeking down his gown, he saw that he had a jagged scar over his flesh. "Scarring?" That was shocking because healing magic could fix most things. Healing flesh was easy, the same for cuts and bruises. Broken bones were a little harder, and then reattaching limbs was even harder. Healing damaged organs or regrowing limbs from scratch was next to impossible unless the mage was a master healer, and completely bringing a person back from the dead was flat-out impossible. The wound he got was nasty, but no organs or vitals had been targeted. It was a severe wound, but with enough healing magic, it should have been fully sealed shut and mended, yet it wasn't? "The wound I got wasn't normal. I'm betting that's why I was out for a month."
Olem let out a heavy sigh, and the golem shifted slightly. "Normally, healing magic can fix such a wound easily. You're right, though; the one you got was hardly normal. It was imbued with a curse."
"A curse?" Davi cocked his head to the side. "You mean like the curse on Phoenix Flight?"
Olem shook his head. "No. There are two kinds of curses. Spiritual and physical. The curse of Phoenix Flight is a spiritual curse. These curses cling to the soul within us and affect our cores, following us where we go. A physical curse is the wound you got from that monster. It's nowhere near as potent as a spiritual curse, and they usually lack effects save for one. Physical curses are extremely difficult to heal, sometimes downright impossible."
"So I was hit with a curse?" Davi questioned. "Does that mean that monster was connected to demons?"
Olem shook his head once again. "No. Spiritual curses can only be placed on a person by a demon. This is because the blood of a demon carries a spiritual curse, which is then placed into a target or concept. For example, Sleetdrazer placed the curse of his gaze on all members of Phoenix Flight. Monsters and humans can use curses also, though only the physical variety. It's also hazardous and hard to do. Powerful monsters are more gifted at it than humans, but it can be used by a human as well. A physical curse involves imbuing your mana with pure negativity and leaving a mark on the target, filling that wound with negativity. If done correctly, the target has a cursed wound."
"Cursed wound?" Davi repeated the word. "That sounds pretty powerful."
"Don't get too cocky and think you can use curses yourself." Olem chuckled and swatted Davi lightly on the head. "Knights don't use curses because of how dangerous they are to control. You're more likely to get yourself devoured by one than you are to properly use them. The curse on you was luckily weak, but it made healing magic next to impossible. Instead, I had to focus on healing you the natural way and used my magic to boost that. You healed slowly, and if all went well, you should only have that scar left over."
Falco suddenly jumped to his feet, the Mutant giving a large smirk. He pointed a clawed finger at Davi. "Hear that? Olem here is saying you're ready to get your butt kicked by me—"
Olem smashed his fist down into Falco's head, knocking the mutant to the floor once more. "That is not what I said."
"Actually," Davi began. "I think I would like to try a sparring match."
"What?" Olivia looked shocked, as did Ghost. "You just woke up, though?" Olivia grumbled.
Davi shrugged. "I think my body would enjoy moving around."
"That's the spirit!" Falco jumped up again. "Come on, Davi, let's go have another match!"
"Oh!" Ghost jumped up and giggled. "Wait! I have something for Davi!" She reached into her nightgown, and despite being frail and thin, she pulled out a large brown bag. Davi raised an eyebrow when he saw her pull it out entirely. Did she also have a vault spell? Pock did as well. He was starting to feel less special. "Here you go!" Ghost placed the bag down before him. "Clause made this for you."
Davi unzipped the bag and looked inside. He let out a whistle when he saw that it contained a new set of clothes. "Clause made this? He's the old guy, right?"
"Yep." Ghost giggled, and she patted Olivia on the shoulder. "He made Olivia's new outfit also."
Davi did a double-take and suddenly looked back at Olivia. He hadn't even noticed, but she was dressed differently now. When he first met her, she had on random hand-me-downs. After that, she rocked the white fur dress he had given her. Now, though, she was starting to look like a real adventurer. She noticed his gaze and blushed, looking away as he studied her up and down.
She had on light-looking, dark leather armor. It covered her upper body, along with her hands and feet. Black tight pants covered her legs, and she wore a black half cloak over her shoulder, featuring the golden symbol of a bird. There was a hood she could pull up if she wanted, along with a section of the suit that could raise up and cover the bottom half of her face. A belt was at her side, one part holding her dagger and the other her wand.
The armor looked like it could help take some hits, though it seemed to be built more for being light and stealthy. She looked a lot like a rogue now, or a thief. Her physical appearance had also changed slightly; her hair was tied down into a ponytail that fell down her back.
"H-How do I look?" Olivia asked sheepishly.
"Like a real Arcane Knight." Davi nodded, and she smiled at his words. He sifted through his own clothes. "So that old guy made all of this for us?"
"That's right." Ghost chirped out. "He's so cool, right? He loves making armor and weapons for us. His dad is a blacksmith!"
'Is? Not was?' Davi assumed that Clause was in his late sixties or seventies based on how old he was. Perhaps his father was from Rossum? Those people lived far longer than they should have.
"Try your clothes on," Olem instructed. "Make sure they fit."
"Sure." Davi casually stood up and tore off his gown, along with the wires that were poking out of him. His flesh tore a bit, but everyone else was more focused on the fact that he was now naked.
Ghost let out a squeak and was attempting to cover Olivia's eyes while Olivia was doing her best to peek past Ghost's hands. Olem looked tired and sighed again, and Falco was flabbergasted by how 'one' could be so big.
Davi put the clothes on and got dressed. When he was done, he looked down at himself and then stepped in front of a mirror that was hanging up. He took his reflection in.
It wasn't anything fancy, and it seemed like Clause hadn't gone into quite as much effort with him as he had with Olivia. Likely because Clause and he weren't able to sit down and have a full conversation on what the outfit should be.
After all, Olivia's outfit was perfect for her because it was light and easy to move around in. By contrast, he was a heavy fighter, wearing bulky armor and swinging around a large sword with all of his weight behind it.
Perhaps because he could make his own armor, Clause had gotten a bit lazy with the design. In fact, the more Davi looked at himself, the more he couldn't help but wonder why Clause would make something like this for him.
The outfit consisted of a pair of white pants and a black robe that covered his upper half. They resembled the design worn by the swordsmen of Mordehim or the monks of Rossum. It was almost like a tunic, being white and black with another black layer over it. On one of the sleeves, the guild symbol was embroidered, made out of the same golden fabric as Olivia's.
The clothing was very light and offered even less protection than Olivia's had on. He looked and felt similar to a samurai, but it also seemed slightly wrong. He was a Knight, wasn't he? Laerton Eman walked around in her robes as well, but she seemed to hate everything about the Knights. What of him, though? Did he hate being a Knight?
He didn't know.
"Looking good." Falco hummed and threw his arm over Davi's shoulder. "Of course, not as good as the armor Clause made for me. What are you thinking?"
"Flowy," Davi stated flatly, and he moved his arms up and down.
Olivia was silent as she watched him. She was having bad memories of the night she almost lost him. The robes he wore then were black as well, and they had the guild symbol burned into them with his mana. Those robes had been like his Shadow Armor but different.
The ones he had on now were regular clothes and had a few bits of white on them, but they were a little too similar for her liking. Davi didn't seem to mind, though, keeping his blank look, so she held her tongue.
Falco clapped Davi's shoulder again. "Ready to try it out?"
"You know I'll just put my armor over them and hide them the moment combat starts, right?" Davi asked.
"That's fine by me." Falco turned away, his grin growing. "Let's go spar!"
"Actually," Ghost cut in, and the girl giggled. "I have a better idea."
Falco shot his friend a look, and he raised his eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Yeah." Ghost giggled. "Why don't we introduce them to Ragna?"